1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to telecommunications networks and specifically to obtaining user feedback as to the quality of data telecommunications services.
2. Description of the Related Art
Telecommunications systems are known to include a plurality of telephones or data terminals including computers and fax machines, a plurality of Local Exchange Carriers (LECs) and/or a plurality of Private Branch Exchanges (PBXs), and a plurality of Interexchange Carriers (IECs). Each of the data terminals is connected to either an LEC or PBX through some sort of network termination equipment, most likely a modem. Each of the LECs or PBXs are couple to at least one IEC, where the IEC between LECs. As is generally known, long distance service providers are known as IECs, local telephone companies are known as LECs and independent businesses sometime operate their own PBX(s). Recent legislative events in the United States have served to blur the distinct boundaries among the service providers.
To enable a calling party to communicate with a called party, a network connection must be established. Generally, the calling party initiates the establishment of the network connection by entering the called party's telephone number. The called party's telephone number is routed to the calling party's LEC (or PBX as the case may be) which in turn interprets the called telephone number to determine if a local or long distance call is indicated. As is known, the determination of a long distance call is made if a long distance prefix of "1" followed by a valid area code; absent the valid area code, a local call is deemed to have been placed. The LEC then completes the network connection and the communication takes place assuming that the called party is available.
If, however, the number dialed is for a long distance call, the LEC routes the call to an IEC. The IEC interprets the telephone number and routes it either to another IEC, a PBX or a LEC. When the network connection is finally made to the called party's LEC, the call is completed subject to availability of the called party and/or terminal. The calling and called terminals/parties communicate until terminated by an on-hook condition detected by the network.
As an alternative to establishing the connection through an IEC, the LEC of the calling party may route the call to another LEC which then completes the network connection to the called party.
Over the past 15 years, the telecommunications industry has dramatically changed. Prior to this period, telecommunications typically supported voice communications over wireline to wireline connections. Today, data, digitized voice digitized video and multimedia are communicated over wireline, wireless, cable satellite and internet mediums and various combinations thereof.
In addition to the dramatic changes in the telecommunications infrastructure, the services being provided have also dramatically changed. Such changes include 800 and 900 number calls, large conference calls via bridges, video-conferencing calls, data networking, facsimile transmissions and other data and multimedia services.
As a result of the increase in telecommunications services and infrastructures along with the evolving legal restrictions on service providers, competition has dramatically increased. To distinguish one's self from the competition, a network service provider spends millions of dollars to upgrade services and enhance the network and then advertise those enhanced services to customers.
While many network providers test their equipment for acceptable performance levels, they receive little, if any, feedback on quality from customers on a real-time per call basis. If a customer does provide feedback, it is usually after a catastrophe has occurred. For example, a customer may be blocked from placing a call for a significant period of time, have an existing call unexpectedly terminated or the communication may be of such poor quality that the data transmission is incorrectly received and/or displayed. Further, this feedback is often provided days or weeks after the incident. In many cases, there may be no indication of an unreceived data transmission. Unlike voice transmission, real time disruption of data transmission may go unnoticed.
Thus, network service providers are receiving little, if any feedback as to customers' perceptions of quality and what is received is often too stale to be of useful value. Such sporadic and generalized customer feedback has limited usefulness in determining future planning, the quality of new services and enhancements, user behavior profiles, interexchange carrier perceived quality, diagnostic information as to catastrophic and mild failures, and overall general service.
There is accordingly a need for a new method and apparatus for obtaining realtime feedback to a network service provider in order to solve or ameliorate one or more of the above-described problems.